What is a bedroom?
What is a “bedroom”?
To a real estate agent, it might be a closet with room for a pull-out Murphy bed.
To a buyer, it’s probably a bit bigger than that.
I don’t know if the following is the “legal” requirements, but as good a definition as I’ve ever read.
Here are the basic requirements for a bedroom, according to an Inman News article:
1) A bedroom must be at least 70 square feet in area, with no dimension less than 7 feet (so, at least 7′ x 10′).
2) The ceiling must be at least 7 feet high above the finished floor. Sloped-ceilings follow their own criteria.
3) There must be a … window that opens to provide light, ventilation, and a fire escape. There are dimensions for each that are usually followed.
4) Contrary to popular belief, no closet is required in a bedroom.
You’ll often see listings in the local MLS where a studio is listed as a “one bedroom”. This isn’t accurate and the goal is to encourage more interest in the listing than the agent would get, otherwise. This can be aggravating, of course.
For the three listings I have at 67 Rutland Street (shill), each one has a true bedroom. Unit #2 has a space off the living area which could be used as a bedroom. It doesn’t have a closet. It does have a window. It might be 70′ in diameter. We aren’t calling it a bedroom. We call it a “-plus” or a study. Unit #3 has a similar layout, but the study is larger and has a closet as well as a window. Unit #4 has a big open room, without the study.
I’d rather have prospects be pleasantly surprised that there is a study or guest room than be terribly disappointed that it wouldn’t work for them.
It’s not just an agent being deceptive, though. Agents think about what their clients may want. For a lot of people, they don’t need or desire a full second bedroom. So, to not include the second room as a “bedroom” would mean that potential buyers wouldn’t find out about all the options available fitting their criteria.
Source: Barry Stone, Inman News
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